One use of subtitles for me as a non native speaker, is when characters in movies talk with low volume (which, unfortunately, is too often). There is no way for me to understand that without using subtitles.
Subtitling is a godsend and I very much respect the effort and artistry behind it. It really feels like a case by case situation a lot of the times; like what was pointed out with Pachinko. Coming from old anime fansubbing communities, I remember how a lot of discussions within the fanbase went into things like how is it best to format subtitles when say multiple characters are talking over each other? If ambient sounds like crowd chatter or advertisements can be heard do you try and subtitle everything or just what is contextually important? On one hand you're making the viewing experience more understandable, but on the other you're kind of taking a bit away from the sonic atmosphere the filmmakers had crafted. It's a tricky thing sometimes and often there's not a straightforward answer. I specifically can recall how the show Tatami Galaxy sort of put fan-subbers for a loop since it was a VERY fast-paced show where the characters would speak a mile a minute while the visuals were cutting constantly, sometimes with text that also needed translation. It was already something probably pretty stimulating for native Japanese speakers so often subs would add to visual noise or just overall not be on the screen long enough for viewers to process. There were a lot of compromises made, but overall it ended up working mostly and people were willing to put up with some adjustments since the show was so good. It was also nice to know that even when the official translation came out it seems that Funimation also struggled with the subbing the show. lol For anyone interested here's the actual show itself: ruclips.net/video/kq7O6eR12oM/видео.html
Really comes down to the director's instincts. Does the subtitles take the viewers out of the atmosphere or help draw them in? They have to understand the story and what works best
The Bakemonogatari series seemed to be specifically designed to be an "eff-you" to subtitlers. Each episode title card was preceded by a series of maybe 15 or 20 full screens of text -- sometimes a short story, sometimes commentary -- that came faster and faster, with the last few staying up for only 2 frames. We tried subtitling them for the Blu-ray release, but it just couldn't be done with removable subs. The buffer couldn't keep up, and it crashed the compiler. There was another anime called His and Her Circumstances that caused DVD players to crash due to the players not quite being up to spec.
I LOVE that you included the subtitled part of Wayne's World! Since most audiences stop watching the action in a scene when they are forced to read subtitles it was great comedy to see the characters show their awareness of this fact by taking it easy for a few seconds.
i'm studying kr-en subtitle translation so thanks for putting this out here!! i'm really annoyed with bilinguals who complain about how much info is left out in the finished subtitle. while i understand where they are coming from, we have small character limits to keep under for only a short amount of time -- it's our job to make the text understandable to ALL rather than trying to contain every bit of info. darcy paquet does great work and i'm glad directors like bong joon-ho are actively thinking about the subtitle process :) just bummed his subtitles for the lullaby in The Handmaiden got erased by Netflix because of their song policy. also the original film had the Japanese and Korean dialogue in different colors, which all became white when ported to Netflix T_T at least Pachinko could keep that distinction in.
How do you think translators should translate "oppa"? In many films I watch "oppa" is translated as just the character's name. I get it's hard to translate cos it has a specific meaning, but just using the character's name doesn't really capture the context in which Oppa is used (I'm not an export of course)
Speaking a language and being able to translate it are two totally different skills. I've edited translations by bilingual Japanese/English speakers that were hilariously awful (I'll remember "I must avenge in the sake of my mom!" on my deathbed). The two speech centers didn't interact at all. I wholeheartedly subscribe to the belief that you should only translate INTO your native language, never away from it. I wouldn't dream of translating a movie into Japanese for work, only as a mental exercise for myself. And you have no idea what a luxury it is to be able to pick the brain of the writer or director of the work you're translating... I envy that guy so much. It's so confining to have to work in text-based formats like Netflix uses. For physical releases, we use graphics-based subtitles, so we can put text wherever we want and make it whatever color we want.
Subtitling is a godsend and I very much respect the effort and artistry behind it. It's like I'm deaf anytime I watch a movie without subtitles, it helps me "hear" the actors better.
Thank you for this video, it was very insightful! I have auditory processing disorder and subtitles are such a blessing. I know English well enough that I don't need subtitles in my native language anymore. I sometimes struggle to process what people are saying, but my hearing is absolutely fine; I don't need audio descriptions, but usually they are the only forms available for English subtitles. I get used to them after a while, thankfully, and sometimes they genuinely help because they often indicate who is speaking and I just cannot distinguish voices sometimes lol. I really appreciate subtitles, especially when they aren't just there to accomodate us, but also get more creative to include us. I do have to say, one thing I don't like about them, is that they sometimes spoil things. Sometimes it's like "No, I am your father", so I have already read the plottwist, but the spoken line isn't finished yet, or when watching Ninja Warrior and the contestant is still hanging in the air but the subtitle already says "He made it!". ESPECIALLY when the character's line ends with a dash, so you already know they're going to be interrupted and something is going to happen. Even if it's about seconds, it still sometimes spoils the shock a little. But it's just this little pet peeve; I will still use subtitles every time I get the chance.
There was a subtitle joke on the Romancing the Stone VHS release that I haven't seen on DVD, Blu-ray, or streaming. It's when Juan is explaining to his men who the woman at his door is. He says something to the effect of, "This is Joan Wilder! The lady whose stories I read to you on Saturdays." Don't know why, but it would always crack me up. I miss seeing it.
as someone whose native language isn't English, I usually watch all movies with subtitles. Sometimes, movies with dialogue other than English would use normal placement for subtitles, maybe change some color too. But I like it when films have context specific subtitles, like the way Tarantino used in Inglourious Basterds. The English only audience will have specific perspective during other languages scenes, those who speak German will have more understanding of German dialogue parts than the English and same for French speaking parts. Like the cafe scene with Shosanna and Zoller. John wick movies are another interesting examples where stylized subtitles are used on picture screen during intense moments when a character switches language. It makes those moments important and memorable. Favorite moment will always be in JW1 when Viggo discovers what his son had done, his scolding of his son and then the poem revealing the name "Baba Yaga."
speaking about subtitles, it would be nice if there would be subtitles in english on the videos for the people that doesnt speak english as a primary language. (i know there are subtitles in some videos but not in every video) thats it, thank you studio binder, great work as always
I need subtitles for English spoken by Scots, or anyone with a thick accent. The excellent miniseries "A Town Like Alice" with Helen Morse, Gordon Jackson, and Byran Brown, the first 30 minutes, though in English, I didn't understand.
What i've never seen in a movie but often see in youtube videos is how to use subtitles to convey how a sentence was delivered, like if you use a fade effect for example, it means that something was said in a dramatic way, or even changing the font format during the conversation, like using a rounder/softer font format means someone is speaking in a gentle or normal way, and a font with lots of sharp edges is used to represent someone being "aggressive", i think these are pretty interesting uses to make the text more appealing to the audience
My favorite non-subtitle scene is the Dinner scene in The Godfather. Yes Italian and somewhat Spanish speakers understood the dialogue behind what was going on in Michael’s head. But it wasn’t meant for English speaker audience. It was an Easter egg for the native speakers. Totally intimate.
Hey, just wanted to thank your channel for helping me out. I’m planning on going into Hollywood as a film editor and I’ve been watching your channel to help me out. It’s gonna be a tough journey in Hollywood, but I know things will go well if I keep up the spirit.
Netflix's style guide allows for the text to appear a bit before the voice if that's the only way to provide enough reading time, but not like a whole second. You might be watching a "dubtitle" track, where the titles are timed to a different language. I know that Amazon Prime sometimes has one track that's a transcript of the English dub as well as another that's a straight translation of the Japanese. Those audio cues don't line up perfectly.
I always use subtitles, even when I know the lnguagr(I just like reading as well as listening) but I never thought about all the ins and outs! Very interesting!
Thank you for acknowledging our profession. It's complex and beautiful, but only gets notice when there's a mistake (or what people consider an error), however, it is commonly overlooked.
Usually I would prefer not seeing the subtitles at all even at the price of losing a few words here and there. But I totally agree it's very important to a lot people and movie types..
This is an amazing video! I could watch another 2 hours of this, growing up in a foreign country as a non native speaker subtitles were essential and seeing the art behind them definitely enhances their worth!
I always try to keep people with hearing difficulties and deaf people in mind. I myself watch videos with no sound from time to time or have difficulties understanding, so subtitles are a must. I don't know why some people actually decide to DISABLE them in their videos...
I feel like there is a broad division only mentioned in passing here. There are subtitles like the examples shown for Scott Pilgrim, Avatar, Inglorious Bastards or Austin Powers where the use of subtitles is a specific choice required in the screenplay. All final cuts of the movie will still have those subtitles, and in many cases removing the subtitles would end up losing key pieces of information for the story. Either because the subtitles are used for an artistic style (as in the case of Scott Pilgrim or Austin Powers) or because critical plot points are conveyed through dialogue that is in multiple languages in-universe, either real languages (as in Inglorious Bastards) or fictional (as in Avatar). But other movies have subtitles as an optional setting that is only included at the viewer's discretion, either for international audience or for the hard of hearing. These subtitles would not add anything critically necessary to the movie, and in many cases are produced by an outside source only loosely connected with the production team (except in some cases like the example given for Parasite). In the era of VHS, subtitles would be added as a separate pieces of film that could be overlaid by a mechanical switch.
The one area you didn't cover was punctuation. I have watched plenty of subtitled movies where the character is screaming or excited, and the subtitles have periods instead of exclamation points. If the text is supposed to act in conjunction with the dialogue, then it makes sense to have exclamation points if someone is yelling or enthusiastic, but most of the time the text has periods as if the character is speaking calmly. I have also seen this with questions. Instead of the text having a question mark, it has periods. Subtitles DON'T enhance the film if the punctuation is off. [Most foreign films actually get this right, but american films have a REAL problem with punctuation.]
As a translator myself with auditory processing disorder, in a country that broadcasts a lot of American content and heavily prefers subs over dubs, I have grown to really appreciate the people who subtitle. Even though they tend to be very underpaid, I really like it when I can see them getting creative, for example when translating puns, songs, or making dialogue more culturally relatable or relevant. My favourite example is in Shang-Chi, where the character says "I'll vemno you for that" which got translated to "Ik stuur wel een Tikkie". Tikkie - the Dutch Vemno - is used a lot here and has become a big part of Dutch culture, I'd argue, to the point where the term Tikkie has become interchangable with a payment request. Plus the phrase is something many Dutch people actually would say nowadays. My family and I had a good laugh about the line because of the translation. It goes to show that subtitles are not inferior to the material, and can actually elevate it.
Plz guys make series on complete post- production... How to go Step By step Post-production plz make series on this topic.... U guys are doing very great work I really like your work and and I had learn lot of things from you.... Love you guys and well done👏👏👏🙏🙏🙏
I am someone who needs closed captions to follow dialogue. I want to make clear that closed captions need to be able to substitute for the soundtrack. Not every sound in the whole soundscape is important, but unless the only consequence to hearing people being without the sound would be awkward silence, it needs to be indicated in the closed captions. If there's a crackling fire for ambiance, you can probably skip it. If the characters turn to look at an off-screen explosion, the captions need to say "(explosion)". This criterion means that essentially all dialogue needs to be in the closed captions. If a character's specific pronunciation of a word is important, use a pronunciation respelling. Unusual emphasis can be indicated by combining hyphens and italics For closed captions, I very much disagree with the "If a line is repeated or obvious in context, there is no need to write it out". What is obvious to the captioner or to the majority of viewers will not be obvious to everyone, and for those people, the captions will fail to fulfill their purpose. If repetition is not actually indicated, a non-hearing viewer may believe the line was said only once, and may believe a different line was said but was missing from the captions. If repetition is back-to-back, a parenthetical can be added to the second iteration to show that it is another line that just happens to be identical. There is also a common problem of captions missing the dialogue of characters who speak a "foreign" language. There are plenty of reasons a director may decide dialogue should not be translated. However, if a hearing viewer knows the language, they would be able to understand the dialogue without the translation. Even if a hearing viewer doesn't understand the language, they can notice things like repetitive phrasing or which sentences are exclaimed. So for closed captions to actually substitute the dialogue, a non-hearing viewer who knows the language also needs to be able to understand the dialogue. That is, if the dialogue is not translated in the closed captions, it must instead be transcribed. If an English movie has a plot point of someone saying "Meine Eule ist im Restaurant!" and the main characters not understanding, then there shouldn't be a translation, but the closed captions should say "Meine Eule ist im Restaurant!". It is not appropriate for the captions to just say "(speaking German)". The only time "(speaking language)" is an appropriate language is when it's not actually a language. I'm not referring to constructed languages. Transcribe your Klingon if you aren't translating it. I mean stuff like the gibberish of the transformer at 11:46. When dialogue is translated, the closed captions should make that clear. When there's no significance to the specific language the dialogue is originally in, the translation is often indicated by making the captions italic, but I would much prefer that captioners always use a parenthetical which says which specific language the actual dialogue was in. Italics can still be used to make clear when the translated section ends, and to avoid repeating the parenthetical when there is back-and-forth between the movie language and the same "foreign" language. And lastly, if the captions are separate data instead of being baked into the image, don't skip the captions when baked subtitles are used for other purposes. Caption data can be used by software of the viewer's choice to make the experience as accessible for them as possible. It can be as simple as just being able to set the size and position of the captions. Skipping the caption data when baked subtitles are present prevents the viewer from being able to use those resources, and it can be very jarring to have their captions suddenly vanish in favor of, for them, inferior ones. This is especially important when the baked subtitles are being "used creatively" as shown in a few points in the video, since this creativity can interfere with a viewers ability to readily interpret it. To be clear, most of the things I have mentioned are things which have personally caused issues with the viewing experience for me.
Pretty good intro to the art form, although it's important to note that various markets have their own subtitling rules for their language. In Japan, for instance, you're expected to move the text to the left or right to avoid key elements in the frame, particularly characters' faces. Also text disappears two frames *before* a cut and appears two frames *after* a cut, rather than *on* the cut like I would do it here in the US. It's a shame that it's so hard to find old subtitled VHS versions of classic foreign movies nowadays. Seeing how it used to be done gives you a sense of the changing rules, to say nothing of looking at the old, white "teletype" font with no outline or shadow and appreciating how much easier they are to read now. (I'm a SUBTLE member, BTW. Nice shout-out. I've been doing it professionally for nearly 30 years.)
As someone who speaks and reads Russian, I've always hated it when the translation is off. Like they use words that just aren't right, and it's not like the literal translation would be long. Here's an example: "I'm leaving" would be the literal translation. But the subtitle reads "I'm going to head out of the door". Like, come on. The literal translation is better and shorter. And this happens all the time.
I always watch non English movies with English Subtitles, I really dislike when subtitles aren't on screen for long and goes away too fast for the viewer to read, I really dislike dubbed movies as they sound so fake and prefer the raw emotion from the performances of the real actors.
@@scottslotterbeck3796 Yes but the performances in dubbed films are so fake, I once at a friends house when I was a teenager in the 90's watched a dubbed movie because there was no other options and never again did I watch dubbed movies or TV shows after that, the performances were horrible and flat, I prefer the original raw emotional performances with English Subtitles.
I'll be interested to know how professional translators view sites like Viki (which has subtitles provided by fans)? As someone who watches content on Viki (and occasionally illegally downloads) and doesn't speak any language, they seem just as good. They also contextualise certain words in a way pro translates don't. Also, watching Korean movies, many translators translate Oppa as a character's name - which doesn't really capture the context of how that word is used. It's interesting, for sure, about how to translate that word and capture its meaning.
As someone with a hearing disability, I always need to have subtitles / captions enabled. Since I am not completely deaf, however, it can be distracting when the subtitles don't align with what the characters are saying. I understand the need to make them more compact in order to fit on the screen and be readable in the same time as the dialog itself, it's just a little weird--like trying to listen to a conversation and read a book at the same time. I do appreciate the work that goes into them though, and the thought and care to ensure that they flow with the scene.
There is one thing I dislike with passion, when a subtitle says "Speaks foreign language", instead of writing what the character actually said in that language, without translating it. This is especially outrageous in closed-captions. If a person knows that foreign language, they would understand the dialog, but a deaf person who knows that language has no chance in figuring it out. If a director wants to convey "the other characters didn't understand what was said", then it's an acceptable exception, but it's not acceptable when it's used as the norm, even for exclamations and common phrases. It's even worse, when the foreign text is already in the movie script...
That's an interesting point, I'm not quite sure yet what's best. Simply writing out the foreign language may distract the audience too much, if only for a moment. Also, should that include different scripts, like Cyrillic or Chinese, for a (mostly) English-speaking audience? On the other hand, sometimes they write like "(speaks German)", which already gives the audience more information than an average listener would get, as they may not be able to recognize the language.
The 13th Warrior (a retelling of Beowulf) does something similar, and it was coincidentally directed by the same guy. The main character -- an Arab traveler in Norse lands -- starts out not being able to understand the Norwegian people around him, but as he listens and learns, more and more of the words are spoken in English. In an earlier scene, he and a fellow emissary from Baghdad are trying to get information from the locals. Their Arabic to each other is presented as English to the viewer, and none of the Norwegian around them is subtitled. They try Greek, then Latin as a common language. Historians hate it, but it's cool for language folks.
I used to not use subtitles with American movies, but nowadays the audio is so fucked subtitles are a must. Dialogue scenes are so quiet while action is way too loud.
Thing that trips me up is in some movies like The Covenant by Riche, there is no hardcoded subtitles for the terrorist scenes by default. I have watched on a couple formats and there is no english subtitle options where characters don't speak english. There is a few other movies that does this I can't think of right now. I don't understand this choice to not hardcode subtitles for a EN movie with non-EN dialogue. Can anyone explain why some movies don't hardcode when 99% of the time subtitles are hardcoded when characters speak in different languages?
Nowadays, 2-frame or 1-frame gaps between sub lines are considered jarring similar to the "flashing" feeling when a sub lingers past a cut for few frames. Better to bridge the space instead.
Absolutely not. The "flashing feeling" is exactly why it's there. There's a reason for the gap -- if a sub is followed by a sub of similar width, you don't visually register the change.
@@CantankerousDave you do register the change because the size and shape of the lines are never constant. Meanwhile, flashing is drawing attention to the subs instead of the subs fulfilling its primary purpose: not being about itself but translating the media invisibly.
it amazes me how many people refuse to watch subtitled foreign films!!! they're missing out on some of the best cinema!! personally i'll always choose subtitles and native language over the same film dubbed into english....i believe the script should be heard in its original form even if i don't understand it. On that note i wish Netflix would add forced subtitles for multi language films as i don't want subtitles during the english parts but need them whenever the language switches
i really hate it when there is a plot twist of a certain character appearing, and the subtitles spoil that by adding “[name]: Hello!” like, it’s so unnecessary and ruins the plot twist, why would you add their name?
@@Digrient if there has to be a plot twist, i’d say the subtitles should say [unknown person] or something. Like in Legend of Korra, when Toph reappears, the subtitles spoil it, by adding [Toph] before Korra realizes who she is
@@mynameisbrutus I don't know that particular scene but I think I get your point. If the character (and the audience?) doesn't seem to recognize the voice instantly, the subtitles shouldn't give it away. That makes sense.
In the SDH (subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing) track, the rule is that you identify the speaker if they can't be seen, and you include audio descriptors. In the regular subtitle track, you only get the spoken dialogue.
I’ve always hated subtitles, unless it is artist, comedy or a few foreign lines of dialogue. It was hilariously played in ‘Inglorious Bastards’ during the scene where the Nazi visits the Jewish home.
The big problem is the wrong translation. The sound misguides the translator who produce a hilarious situation with the wrong word. Wonder what the editor is doing.blind eye or blind spot.words have nuances.this is the biggest flaw in sub titling
Chapters:
00:00 - Introduction to Subtitling
00:42 - History of Subtitles
02:17 - Chapter 1: Types of Subtitling
04:49 - Chapter 2: Rules of Subtitling
11:30 - Chapter 3: Creative Examples
14:09 - Takeaways
BLAH BLAH BLAH BLAH I wanna know HOW TO DO IT not what it is......what a waste of 15 min.
I always use subtitles because it helps me "hear" what they're saying better, so I appreciate when extra effort goes into making them.
Fair point
One use of subtitles for me as a non native speaker, is when characters in movies talk with low volume (which, unfortunately, is too often). There is no way for me to understand that without using subtitles.
Definitely helpful!
Subtitling is a godsend and I very much respect the effort and artistry behind it. It really feels like a case by case situation a lot of the times; like what was pointed out with Pachinko. Coming from old anime fansubbing communities, I remember how a lot of discussions within the fanbase went into things like how is it best to format subtitles when say multiple characters are talking over each other? If ambient sounds like crowd chatter or advertisements can be heard do you try and subtitle everything or just what is contextually important? On one hand you're making the viewing experience more understandable, but on the other you're kind of taking a bit away from the sonic atmosphere the filmmakers had crafted. It's a tricky thing sometimes and often there's not a straightforward answer. I specifically can recall how the show Tatami Galaxy sort of put fan-subbers for a loop since it was a VERY fast-paced show where the characters would speak a mile a minute while the visuals were cutting constantly, sometimes with text that also needed translation. It was already something probably pretty stimulating for native Japanese speakers so often subs would add to visual noise or just overall not be on the screen long enough for viewers to process. There were a lot of compromises made, but overall it ended up working mostly and people were willing to put up with some adjustments since the show was so good. It was also nice to know that even when the official translation came out it seems that Funimation also struggled with the subbing the show. lol
For anyone interested here's the actual show itself: ruclips.net/video/kq7O6eR12oM/видео.html
Really comes down to the director's instincts. Does the subtitles take the viewers out of the atmosphere or help draw them in? They have to understand the story and what works best
The Bakemonogatari series seemed to be specifically designed to be an "eff-you" to subtitlers. Each episode title card was preceded by a series of maybe 15 or 20 full screens of text -- sometimes a short story, sometimes commentary -- that came faster and faster, with the last few staying up for only 2 frames. We tried subtitling them for the Blu-ray release, but it just couldn't be done with removable subs. The buffer couldn't keep up, and it crashed the compiler.
There was another anime called His and Her Circumstances that caused DVD players to crash due to the players not quite being up to spec.
Somehow I knew that you were going to play the interrogation with Hans Landa with the interlingual dialogue lmao
Had to
I knew there would be a scott pilgrim clip
@@safi6749 The Russian movie Night Watch is full of animated subtitles that are pretty amazing.
I LOVE that you included the subtitled part of Wayne's World! Since most audiences stop watching the action in a scene when they are forced to read subtitles it was great comedy to see the characters show their awareness of this fact by taking it easy for a few seconds.
it's a hilarious bit
i'm studying kr-en subtitle translation so thanks for putting this out here!!
i'm really annoyed with bilinguals who complain about how much info is left out in the finished subtitle. while i understand where they are coming from, we have small character limits to keep under for only a short amount of time -- it's our job to make the text understandable to ALL rather than trying to contain every bit of info.
darcy paquet does great work and i'm glad directors like bong joon-ho are actively thinking about the subtitle process :)
just bummed his subtitles for the lullaby in The Handmaiden got erased by Netflix because of their song policy. also the original film had the Japanese and Korean dialogue in different colors, which all became white when ported to Netflix T_T at least Pachinko could keep that distinction in.
Are you talking about Park Chan-wook for The Handmaiden subtitles?
@@StudioBinder Yep! Darcy Paquet did the subtitles for that film as well, that’s who I meant by “his”
How do you think translators should translate "oppa"? In many films I watch "oppa" is translated as just the character's name. I get it's hard to translate cos it has a specific meaning, but just using the character's name doesn't really capture the context in which Oppa is used (I'm not an export of course)
Speaking a language and being able to translate it are two totally different skills. I've edited translations by bilingual Japanese/English speakers that were hilariously awful (I'll remember "I must avenge in the sake of my mom!" on my deathbed). The two speech centers didn't interact at all. I wholeheartedly subscribe to the belief that you should only translate INTO your native language, never away from it. I wouldn't dream of translating a movie into Japanese for work, only as a mental exercise for myself.
And you have no idea what a luxury it is to be able to pick the brain of the writer or director of the work you're translating... I envy that guy so much.
It's so confining to have to work in text-based formats like Netflix uses. For physical releases, we use graphics-based subtitles, so we can put text wherever we want and make it whatever color we want.
I think you should have mentioned BBC's Sherlock too, they use subtitles on a whole another level.
👍👍
correct - it takes a stylish angle to it...totally worth mentioning....good comment here
Subtitling is a godsend and I very much respect the effort and artistry behind it. It's like I'm deaf anytime I watch a movie without subtitles, it helps me "hear" the actors better.
Subtitles have definitely been more important to people over the years
Thank you for this video, it was very insightful! I have auditory processing disorder and subtitles are such a blessing. I know English well enough that I don't need subtitles in my native language anymore. I sometimes struggle to process what people are saying, but my hearing is absolutely fine; I don't need audio descriptions, but usually they are the only forms available for English subtitles. I get used to them after a while, thankfully, and sometimes they genuinely help because they often indicate who is speaking and I just cannot distinguish voices sometimes lol. I really appreciate subtitles, especially when they aren't just there to accomodate us, but also get more creative to include us.
I do have to say, one thing I don't like about them, is that they sometimes spoil things. Sometimes it's like "No, I am your father", so I have already read the plottwist, but the spoken line isn't finished yet, or when watching Ninja Warrior and the contestant is still hanging in the air but the subtitle already says "He made it!". ESPECIALLY when the character's line ends with a dash, so you already know they're going to be interrupted and something is going to happen. Even if it's about seconds, it still sometimes spoils the shock a little. But it's just this little pet peeve; I will still use subtitles every time I get the chance.
Fair point
There was a subtitle joke on the Romancing the Stone VHS release that I haven't seen on DVD, Blu-ray, or streaming. It's when Juan is explaining to his men who the woman at his door is. He says something to the effect of, "This is Joan Wilder! The lady whose stories I read to you on Saturdays." Don't know why, but it would always crack me up. I miss seeing it.
😂nice
If you are running out of video ideas, you guys should do a video series on different Crew Members in Film Production.
Thanks for the suggestion!
It's Important to understand how to use Subtitles in Movies. Thank you StudioBinder.🙏😇
Cheers!
as someone whose native language isn't English, I usually watch all movies with subtitles. Sometimes, movies with dialogue other than English would use normal placement for subtitles, maybe change some color too. But I like it when films have context specific subtitles, like the way Tarantino used in Inglourious Basterds. The English only audience will have specific perspective during other languages scenes, those who speak German will have more understanding of German dialogue parts than the English and same for French speaking parts. Like the cafe scene with Shosanna and Zoller.
John wick movies are another interesting examples where stylized subtitles are used on picture screen during intense moments when a character switches language. It makes those moments important and memorable. Favorite moment will always be in JW1 when Viggo discovers what his son had done, his scolding of his son and then the poem revealing the name "Baba Yaga."
It's a great way to play with language
speaking about subtitles, it would be nice if there would be subtitles in english on the videos for the people that doesnt speak english as a primary language. (i know there are subtitles in some videos but not in every video) thats it, thank you studio binder, great work as always
I need subtitles for English spoken by Scots, or anyone with a thick accent.
The excellent miniseries "A Town Like Alice" with Helen Morse, Gordon Jackson, and Byran Brown, the first 30 minutes, though in English, I didn't understand.
we put it in every video, just takes a little time after its uploaded!
What i've never seen in a movie but often see in youtube videos is how to use subtitles to convey how a sentence was delivered, like if you use a fade effect for example, it means that something was said in a dramatic way, or even changing the font format during the conversation, like using a rounder/softer font format means someone is speaking in a gentle or normal way, and a font with lots of sharp edges is used to represent someone being "aggressive", i think these are pretty interesting uses to make the text more appealing to the audience
To every language, folks describe the word "Ki-ki" as having sharp edges, but "ru-ru", having round edges.
@@scottslotterbeck3796 for more reading see "kiki and bouba effect"
I think John Wick had a bit of that approach but by emphasizing the importance of certain words by making them bigger
My favorite non-subtitle scene is the Dinner scene in The Godfather.
Yes Italian and somewhat Spanish speakers understood the dialogue behind what was going on in Michael’s head. But it wasn’t meant for English speaker audience. It was an Easter egg for the native speakers. Totally intimate.
And yet everyone understood what was happening. Brilliant direction
The scene was presented from Michael's point of view. The subtitles stopped when Michael stopped listening to what was being said.
Hey, just wanted to thank your channel for helping me out. I’m planning on going into Hollywood as a film editor and I’ve been watching your channel to help me out. It’s gonna be a tough journey in Hollywood, but I know things will go well if I keep up the spirit.
Good luck!
Great video as always. It's incredible how badly Netflix messes this up. The subtitle almost always registers way before the line is spoken.
Send them this video! haha
Netflix's style guide allows for the text to appear a bit before the voice if that's the only way to provide enough reading time, but not like a whole second. You might be watching a "dubtitle" track, where the titles are timed to a different language. I know that Amazon Prime sometimes has one track that's a transcript of the English dub as well as another that's a straight translation of the Japanese. Those audio cues don't line up perfectly.
Watching this with subtitles on
👍👍
Such a cool part of filmmaking to learn about. Yay for specific post-production breakdowns! KEEP EM COMING!!
More on the way!
For me as a deaf, subtitles helps me alot. Without subtitles I don't watch movies or videos.
👍👍
I always use subtitles, even when I know the lnguagr(I just like reading as well as listening) but I never thought about all the ins and outs! Very interesting!
A whole bunch of applications!
Thank you for acknowledging our profession. It's complex and beautiful, but only gets notice when there's a mistake (or what people consider an error), however, it is commonly overlooked.
StudioBinder always finds a way to include Scott Pilgrim somewhere, even if it's just for one second
have to ;)
Immersive translate is top rated especially when it comes to generation of subtitles. It is so incredible. It is a bargain you cannot beat.
YES! New SB Vid! Monday just got better!
Always!
Filled with tons of practical information ❤Good job👍
Glad you liked it!
Usually I would prefer not seeing the subtitles at all even at the price of losing a few words here and there.
But I totally agree it's very important to a lot people and movie types..
Right. Das Boot (original only, please) would be incomprehensible w/o subtitles. I don't speak German.
Comes down to execution
As a subtitler, I have to say this video is GOLD! Thank you so much! ¡Gracias!
This is an amazing video! I could watch another 2 hours of this, growing up in a foreign country as a non native speaker subtitles were essential and seeing the art behind them definitely enhances their worth!
the subtitles in Incendies is a work of art.
Facts I’ve been subtitling all my creative work lately . Bless for presenting this history the examples were omnipotent 💎
I was hoping the subtitles in Night Watch would be included. I was great seeing them used as a power.
Very clever application 💯
I always try to keep people with hearing difficulties and deaf people in mind. I myself watch videos with no sound from time to time or have difficulties understanding, so subtitles are a must. I don't know why some people actually decide to DISABLE them in their videos...
I feel like there is a broad division only mentioned in passing here. There are subtitles like the examples shown for Scott Pilgrim, Avatar, Inglorious Bastards or Austin Powers where the use of subtitles is a specific choice required in the screenplay. All final cuts of the movie will still have those subtitles, and in many cases removing the subtitles would end up losing key pieces of information for the story. Either because the subtitles are used for an artistic style (as in the case of Scott Pilgrim or Austin Powers) or because critical plot points are conveyed through dialogue that is in multiple languages in-universe, either real languages (as in Inglorious Bastards) or fictional (as in Avatar).
But other movies have subtitles as an optional setting that is only included at the viewer's discretion, either for international audience or for the hard of hearing. These subtitles would not add anything critically necessary to the movie, and in many cases are produced by an outside source only loosely connected with the production team (except in some cases like the example given for Parasite). In the era of VHS, subtitles would be added as a separate pieces of film that could be overlaid by a mechanical switch.
The one area you didn't cover was punctuation. I have watched plenty of subtitled movies where the character is screaming or excited, and the subtitles have periods instead of exclamation points. If the text is supposed to act in conjunction with the dialogue, then it makes sense to have exclamation points if someone is yelling or enthusiastic, but most of the time the text has periods as if the character is speaking calmly. I have also seen this with questions. Instead of the text having a question mark, it has periods. Subtitles DON'T enhance the film if the punctuation is off. [Most foreign films actually get this right, but american films have a REAL problem with punctuation.]
Good observation!
Watching with subtitles is also a free lesson in screenwriting!
True!
The antici-pation example is perfect
👍👍
As a translator myself with auditory processing disorder, in a country that broadcasts a lot of American content and heavily prefers subs over dubs, I have grown to really appreciate the people who subtitle. Even though they tend to be very underpaid, I really like it when I can see them getting creative, for example when translating puns, songs, or making dialogue more culturally relatable or relevant. My favourite example is in Shang-Chi, where the character says "I'll vemno you for that" which got translated to "Ik stuur wel een Tikkie". Tikkie - the Dutch Vemno - is used a lot here and has become a big part of Dutch culture, I'd argue, to the point where the term Tikkie has become interchangable with a payment request. Plus the phrase is something many Dutch people actually would say nowadays. My family and I had a good laugh about the line because of the translation. It goes to show that subtitles are not inferior to the material, and can actually elevate it.
Interesting trivia!
Plz guys make series on complete post- production... How to go Step By step Post-production plz make series on this topic.... U guys are doing very great work I really like your work and and I had learn lot of things from you.... Love you guys and well done👏👏👏🙏🙏🙏
For me, Sovietwomble's bullshittery video series are still the gold standard on captions in RUclips...
💯💯
I am someone who needs closed captions to follow dialogue. I want to make clear that closed captions need to be able to substitute for the soundtrack. Not every sound in the whole soundscape is important, but unless the only consequence to hearing people being without the sound would be awkward silence, it needs to be indicated in the closed captions. If there's a crackling fire for ambiance, you can probably skip it. If the characters turn to look at an off-screen explosion, the captions need to say "(explosion)". This criterion means that essentially all dialogue needs to be in the closed captions. If a character's specific pronunciation of a word is important, use a pronunciation respelling. Unusual emphasis can be indicated by combining hyphens and italics
For closed captions, I very much disagree with the "If a line is repeated or obvious in context, there is no need to write it out". What is obvious to the captioner or to the majority of viewers will not be obvious to everyone, and for those people, the captions will fail to fulfill their purpose. If repetition is not actually indicated, a non-hearing viewer may believe the line was said only once, and may believe a different line was said but was missing from the captions. If repetition is back-to-back, a parenthetical can be added to the second iteration to show that it is another line that just happens to be identical.
There is also a common problem of captions missing the dialogue of characters who speak a "foreign" language. There are plenty of reasons a director may decide dialogue should not be translated. However, if a hearing viewer knows the language, they would be able to understand the dialogue without the translation. Even if a hearing viewer doesn't understand the language, they can notice things like repetitive phrasing or which sentences are exclaimed. So for closed captions to actually substitute the dialogue, a non-hearing viewer who knows the language also needs to be able to understand the dialogue. That is, if the dialogue is not translated in the closed captions, it must instead be transcribed. If an English movie has a plot point of someone saying "Meine Eule ist im Restaurant!" and the main characters not understanding, then there shouldn't be a translation, but the closed captions should say "Meine Eule ist im Restaurant!". It is not appropriate for the captions to just say "(speaking German)". The only time "(speaking language)" is an appropriate language is when it's not actually a language. I'm not referring to constructed languages. Transcribe your Klingon if you aren't translating it. I mean stuff like the gibberish of the transformer at 11:46. When dialogue is translated, the closed captions should make that clear. When there's no significance to the specific language the dialogue is originally in, the translation is often indicated by making the captions italic, but I would much prefer that captioners always use a parenthetical which says which specific language the actual dialogue was in. Italics can still be used to make clear when the translated section ends, and to avoid repeating the parenthetical when there is back-and-forth between the movie language and the same "foreign" language.
And lastly, if the captions are separate data instead of being baked into the image, don't skip the captions when baked subtitles are used for other purposes. Caption data can be used by software of the viewer's choice to make the experience as accessible for them as possible. It can be as simple as just being able to set the size and position of the captions. Skipping the caption data when baked subtitles are present prevents the viewer from being able to use those resources, and it can be very jarring to have their captions suddenly vanish in favor of, for them, inferior ones. This is especially important when the baked subtitles are being "used creatively" as shown in a few points in the video, since this creativity can interfere with a viewers ability to readily interpret it.
To be clear, most of the things I have mentioned are things which have personally caused issues with the viewing experience for me.
Interesting points, thanks!
Pretty good intro to the art form, although it's important to note that various markets have their own subtitling rules for their language. In Japan, for instance, you're expected to move the text to the left or right to avoid key elements in the frame, particularly characters' faces. Also text disappears two frames *before* a cut and appears two frames *after* a cut, rather than *on* the cut like I would do it here in the US.
It's a shame that it's so hard to find old subtitled VHS versions of classic foreign movies nowadays. Seeing how it used to be done gives you a sense of the changing rules, to say nothing of looking at the old, white "teletype" font with no outline or shadow and appreciating how much easier they are to read now.
(I'm a SUBTLE member, BTW. Nice shout-out. I've been doing it professionally for nearly 30 years.)
I subtitle all my videos and this video is a godsend! Thankyou :)
Please,Can you make a Video about
Robert McKee's
Story: Style, Structure, Substance, and the Principles of Screenwriting
we might!
@studiobinder Thank you
As someone who speaks and reads Russian, I've always hated it when the translation is off. Like they use words that just aren't right, and it's not like the literal translation would be long.
Here's an example:
"I'm leaving" would be the literal translation. But the subtitle reads "I'm going to head out of the door". Like, come on. The literal translation is better and shorter. And this happens all the time.
Good translation is definitely a skill
Heh, you think that's bad? Google "Let the Right One In subtitles scandal" for a good laugh. Or cry, depending.
Omg you just took out a pebble in my shoe, thank you.
Happy to help :)
*You missed the John Wick 4 braille subtitle, that was the most badass way to show a name*
It was really cool
Best use of interlingual subtitles is still Nightwatch
👌
Nolan is the only filmmaker that needs subtitles by default
Ouch
Thank you for this awesome video! Very helpful.
Cheers!
I always watch non English movies with English Subtitles, I really dislike when subtitles aren't on screen for long and goes away too fast for the viewer to read, I really dislike dubbed movies as they sound so fake and prefer the raw emotion from the performances of the real actors.
Dubbed films are an abomination, but new software adjusts the actor's mouths so they match the dubbed words. It's remarkable.
@@scottslotterbeck3796 Yes but the performances in dubbed films are so fake, I once at a friends house when I was a teenager in the 90's watched a dubbed movie because there was no other options and never again did I watch dubbed movies or TV shows after that, the performances were horrible and flat, I prefer the original raw emotional performances with English Subtitles.
I'll be interested to know how professional translators view sites like Viki (which has subtitles provided by fans)? As someone who watches content on Viki (and occasionally illegally downloads) and doesn't speak any language, they seem just as good. They also contextualise certain words in a way pro translates don't.
Also, watching Korean movies, many translators translate Oppa as a character's name - which doesn't really capture the context of how that word is used. It's interesting, for sure, about how to translate that word and capture its meaning.
Yes ! An other video ^^
One every week!
Thank You! Best Channel on Earth!
🙏🙏
As someone with a hearing disability, I always need to have subtitles / captions enabled. Since I am not completely deaf, however, it can be distracting when the subtitles don't align with what the characters are saying. I understand the need to make them more compact in order to fit on the screen and be readable in the same time as the dialog itself, it's just a little weird--like trying to listen to a conversation and read a book at the same time.
I do appreciate the work that goes into them though, and the thought and care to ensure that they flow with the scene.
👌
Can you bring back that 'David Attenborough' type voiceover guy?!
He's working on more vids with us!
Awesome videos asa always say
Thanks for watching!
John wick subtitles feel like they blend in the world
Agreed
Plz...upload stream of consciousness writing..in screenplay..topic
Thanks for the suggestion!
@StudioBinder 1 another round...
2 Manchester by the sea
Superb video
Cheers!
Could you guys do an analytical video on short films( for aspiring film directors)
we might!
How to make stylised subtitles like in John Wick?
maybe in another video ;)
Please make a video of how to pitch an idea or script and how to find producers
You should check out our series Making It, where we go through the process of making a pilot! ruclips.net/video/ZL-jE4wqEwE/видео.html
Thank you ❤
There is one thing I dislike with passion, when a subtitle says "Speaks foreign language", instead of writing what the character actually said in that language, without translating it.
This is especially outrageous in closed-captions.
If a person knows that foreign language, they would understand the dialog, but a deaf person who knows that language has no chance in figuring it out.
If a director wants to convey "the other characters didn't understand what was said", then it's an acceptable exception, but it's not acceptable when it's used as the norm, even for exclamations and common phrases.
It's even worse, when the foreign text is already in the movie script...
That does defeat the purpose of the subtitles
That's an interesting point, I'm not quite sure yet what's best. Simply writing out the foreign language may distract the audience too much, if only for a moment. Also, should that include different scripts, like Cyrillic or Chinese, for a (mostly) English-speaking audience? On the other hand, sometimes they write like "(speaks German)", which already gives the audience more information than an average listener would get, as they may not be able to recognize the language.
have a gr8 day!
you too!
thank you again.
🙏🙏
Kudos to using a more conversational and less narrator-style voiceover artist.
Glad you liked it!
Can you please make a video on the different roles of a film crew?
we might!
Thank u so much, your videos are very informative.
Cheers!
hunt for red october had a really cool way to portray other languages
The 13th Warrior (a retelling of Beowulf) does something similar, and it was coincidentally directed by the same guy. The main character -- an Arab traveler in Norse lands -- starts out not being able to understand the Norwegian people around him, but as he listens and learns, more and more of the words are spoken in English. In an earlier scene, he and a fellow emissary from Baghdad are trying to get information from the locals. Their Arabic to each other is presented as English to the viewer, and none of the Norwegian around them is subtitled. They try Greek, then Latin as a common language. Historians hate it, but it's cool for language folks.
I used to not use subtitles with American movies, but nowadays the audio is so fucked subtitles are a must. Dialogue scenes are so quiet while action is way too loud.
haha good point
Blame Christopher Nolan for starting that obnoxious trend.
Excellent video!
Thanks for watching!
Thing that trips me up is in some movies like The Covenant by Riche, there is no hardcoded subtitles for the terrorist scenes by default. I have watched on a couple formats and there is no english subtitle options where characters don't speak english. There is a few other movies that does this I can't think of right now. I don't understand this choice to not hardcode subtitles for a EN movie with non-EN dialogue. Can anyone explain why some movies don't hardcode when 99% of the time subtitles are hardcoded when characters speak in different languages?
The creators might want to force the viewer to experience the same alienation/confusion as certain characters (the protagonists).
Thanks for great content!
Glad you liked it!
Good work.... And when will you upload short list...?
of what?
Man on Fire is my favorite movie 13:34
🔥🔥
where is zombilend, it is very interesting subtitle that movie
Yeah it was pretty good!
They translated "Baba Yaga" as Boogeyman in John Wick.... sooo that's an example of subtitles NOT working for anyone in eastern europe :D
😂
what's the font style used at 7:00. The scene with Ralph Fiennes
For a video about showing text on screen, it was a poor choice showing the names of the movies as barely visible and jumping from corner to corner.
Appreciate the feedback!
Nowadays, 2-frame or 1-frame gaps between sub lines are considered jarring similar to the "flashing" feeling when a sub lingers past a cut for few frames. Better to bridge the space instead.
Absolutely not. The "flashing feeling" is exactly why it's there. There's a reason for the gap -- if a sub is followed by a sub of similar width, you don't visually register the change.
@@CantankerousDave you do register the change because the size and shape of the lines are never constant.
Meanwhile, flashing is drawing attention to the subs instead of the subs fulfilling its primary purpose: not being about itself but translating the media invisibly.
@@Drag0nStorm1 I've been doing this professionally for 30 years. It's in the rulebook for a reason.
Thank you
3:03 What is this movie and song?
Days Go By, movie names are in the lower left hand corner as they appear! Music is from the film
I'm surprised that there weren't any Into the/Across the Spider Verse clip
The Jazz Singer really needs a soft reboot.
it amazes me how many people refuse to watch subtitled foreign films!!! they're missing out on some of the best cinema!!
personally i'll always choose subtitles and native language over the same film dubbed into english....i believe the script should be heard in its original form even if i don't understand it.
On that note i wish Netflix would add forced subtitles for multi language films as i don't want subtitles during the english parts but need them whenever the language switches
Agreed
i really hate it when there is a plot twist of a certain character appearing, and the subtitles spoil that by adding “[name]: Hello!” like, it’s so unnecessary and ruins the plot twist, why would you add their name?
Fair point
The rule, I think, is: If the character talks off-screen, add the name. I don't see how that could be avoided.
@@Digrient if there has to be a plot twist, i’d say the subtitles should say [unknown person] or something. Like in Legend of Korra, when Toph reappears, the subtitles spoil it, by adding [Toph] before Korra realizes who she is
@@mynameisbrutus I don't know that particular scene but I think I get your point. If the character (and the audience?) doesn't seem to recognize the voice instantly, the subtitles shouldn't give it away. That makes sense.
In the SDH (subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing) track, the rule is that you identify the speaker if they can't be seen, and you include audio descriptors. In the regular subtitle track, you only get the spoken dialogue.
I'm using closed captions to watch this video 😂
👌👌
I love crank
👍👍
جيد ،بس يا ريت ترجمة للعربية
Thanks for watching!
In Avatar, the subtitles are papyrus. lol
😂😂
Hey guys I've just finished my first film
Congrats!
I’ve always hated subtitles, unless it is artist, comedy or a few foreign lines of dialogue. It was hilariously played in ‘Inglorious Bastards’ during the scene where the Nazi visits the Jewish home.
Comes down to execution!
The big problem is the wrong translation. The sound misguides the translator who produce a hilarious situation with the wrong word. Wonder what the editor is doing.blind eye or blind spot.words have nuances.this is the biggest flaw in sub titling
Yeah can't have that
7:07 what is this movie please?
Look in the lower right corner of the screen.
Rocky Horror Picture Show
3:02 Whats the song's name here?
Shazam kullansana dostum
They actually used Papyrus for Avatar 1 AND 2 lol
😂😂
I miss the old narrator voice 😅
He's still with us
I watched this with subtitles.
As you should!